SHILLONG: In a shocking case of intrusion and assault involving Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, a resident of Kuliang village, East Jaintia Hills, has lodged a First Information Report (FIR) on Thursday.
The complainant, Martina Pohshna, filed the FIR at Umkiang Police Patrol Post, detailing a harrowing sequence of events that transpired on the night of June 19.
According to the FIR, a copy of which is with the Northeast News, around 11:30 pm, three individuals claiming to be BSF personnel forcibly entered the complainant’s house.
Disturbingly, they were not in uniform. The complainant stated that during the intrusion, her husband, Shanroi Lyngdoh Lynkhoi, was attacked while he was washing his hands after dinner.
The assailants allegedly wielded an axe and a knife, using them to threaten and assault the family.
The situation escalated further around midnight when the attackers returned with more than 15 people.
They reportedly subjected the husband to further physical abuse and assaulted their teenage daughter. The FIR also accuses the perpetrators of molesting the daughter.
The complainant, while attempting to intervene, was also physically assaulted.
Moreover, the assailants allegedly threatened the family at gunpoint before eventually departing from the scene, Pohshna wrote in the FIR.
The FIR further states that a video recording of the assault was made by a villager, potentially serving as critical evidence in the case.
Meanwhile, the Khasi Students Union (KSU) has raised concerns about the conduct of BSF personnel in Meghalaya.
In a letter addressed to Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) Idashisha Nongrang on June 20, the KSU highlighted alleged incidents of harassment by BSF personnel stationed at Sonapyrdi bridge, Dona Umbluh, and Ratacherra.
The student body accused the BSF of assaulting villagers and creating an atmosphere of fear through their actions.
“There have been instances where inebriated BSF personnel have assaulted villagers for minor reasons, creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation,” the letter read.
Citing an incident that transpired on June 2, when a group of BSF personnel allegedly attacked a student in Huroi village, the KSU accused the BSF of making repeated attempts to “instil fear and create hostility” among the local people.
“Despite efforts to address the issue through formal complaints and representations to relevant administrative bodies such as multiple reports to the SP office and DC East Jaintia Hills district by the Sonapyrdi village community and KSU, no concrete action has been taken…” the letter further read.
The incident in Kuliang village adds to a series of allegations against BSF personnel in Meghalaya, prompting concerns from local communities and organisations about the security force’s conduct in the region.
Earlier, on April 28, the Jaintia National Council (JNC) had similarly appealed to Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong for the removal of BSF check posts from Sonapyrdi, Umbluh, and Dona, alleging harassment and inadequate border security measures.
